Cambridge Pedestrianizes A Harvard Square Block, With More Car-Free Spaces In Consideration
Today, the City of Cambridge began a pilot car-free zone on a small one-block section of Bow Street south of Harvard Square.
The project bans motor vehicle traffic from the small one-block segment of Bow Street between Plympton and DeWolfe Streets, and will create additional public space for outdoor dining, seating, and pedestrian activity.
This segment of Bow Street had already been closed for nearly two years for a construction project in an adjacent Harvard University building, with no discernible effect on traffic.
It reopened to vehicle traffic last summer, but Cambridge City Councilors Councillor Patricia Nolan and Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler sponsored a policy order asking the city’s administration to investigate a permanent pedestrianization for the block.
The project also has the support of several adjacent business owners. The north side of the pedestrianized block is lined with Harvard University buildings, and the south side is home to several businesses, including a coffee shop, two restaurants, and a convenience store.
In a press release announcing the change in traffic patterns, the City of Cambridge said that the city would install “aesthetic enhancements” to the block to make the asphalt plaza more inviting to foot traffic.
The press release also added that “later this fall, the City will evaluate this pilot and determine whether the closure will continue year-round, or resume seasonally.”
Councilors interested in making additional pedestrian space
Meanwhile, several of the city councilors who requested the Bow Street pedestrianization are also interested in making even bigger changes to Harvard Square’s traffic patterns to create more pedestrianized zones.
In a January policy order, the City Council unanimously requested the city’s transportation staff to “consider how additional pedestrianization of a section of Brattle Street, by restoring two-way traffic to JFK Street, could enhance (Harvard) Square.”
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